Medical Mum
by arthursmolly
Summary: Both Bill and Charlie are ill, and Molly isn't feeling well herself, does Arthur come to the rescue?


Molly Weasley groaned loudly as she awoke from her slumber to her youngest son's cries. She blindly reached for her wand, and summoned her dressing gown as she sat up in bed, feeling the familiar cramps in her abdomen due to her period.

"Mollywobbles?"

"What Arthur?"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm perfectly fine, go back to sleep, I've got Charlie." She replied sleepily, pulling on her dressing robe.

"You sure? You sound a bit bitter, love." Arthur replied, frowning at his wife's back. He knew she was exhausted, possibly more exhausted than he was, and he had only been home two hours due to the Ministry's need of him, forcing him to work ridiculous hours that neither he nor Molly approved of. He felt guilty that she was at home all day with their two sons, Billy and Charlie, with no adult contact and that the time they did have together was late at night when they were both tired.

"I'm _fine,_Arthur. Go back to sleep, what time to you have to be back?"

"Too soon in my opinion. Mollywobbles, talk to me. Something's wrong."

"I'll tell you what's _wrong, _Arthur. There's a crying baby across the hall, I'm tired and in pain. Leave me alone."

Arthur could tell by her tone of voice that she wasn't in a good mood, and he decided to back off. He rolled back over into his pillow, resting his hands behind his head. He watched as she left their bedroom, her dressing robe swishing around her calves.

Molly quickly made her way to the nursery and scooped up her infant, cradling him close, half wondering if he was crying because of his colic or because he was hungry. After listening closely to his cries for a second, she freed her breast and sighed in relief as her baby eagerly began suckling once she had latched him on. While Charlie nursed, she peeked into Bill's room, where she was glad to see that her first-born was sleeping peacefully. She closed Billy's door softly and made her way back to the nursery, as she could feel that Charlie's nappy was wet. When he had finished nursing, Molly burped and changed her son, before she rested him gently against her shoulder. She smiled down at his sleeping form, slightly surprised that he had gone back to sleep so quickly. However, the past four months had taught her that even if Charlie fell asleep almost immediately after eating, he wouldn't be asleep for long. If she was lucky, she got a half an hour of quiet before he woke up again, crying because his little belly hurt. Readjusting him slightly, she made her way downstairs to take her potion as her cramps were starting to get the better of her, and she would have preferred going back up to bed so Arthur could rub her back, despite the fact that she had snapped at him instead of being up with a colicky infant.

As Charlie began to wake up, Molly settled herself in her rocking chair and began rocking, something she had found that helped keep Charlie calm, even if he didn't stop crying. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head before she tucked him against her neck, feeling his little body begin to shake with his cries. She stroked his small amount of vibrant red hair that was so much like Arthur's and allowed her hand to drift to his back, where she began gently rubbing in small circles.

"It's okay Charlie, Mumma's here," she whispered, she had always enjoyed talking to her babies, and she had found that her voice helped soothe Charlie as well.

"Mumma?" Molly looked up as she heard Billy's small voice in the stairwell, and her ears picked up a bit of pain in her child's voice. She smiled as she saw her small son standing on the last step of the stairs, holding his blanket.

"What is it Billy?"

"My tummy hurts."

"Yours and Charlie's both love. Come here," she said, ceasing her rubbing of Charlie's back to feel Bill's forehead when he had come to stand by her rocker. "You're burning up sweetie, did you tell your father you don't feel well?"

Bill shook his head and crawled up into his mother's lap, resting his head against her bosom and Molly adjusted herself to the added weight, trying to keep rocking as Charlie was settling down.

"I wanted you, Mumma."

"Of course, sweetheart, you like being Mum's cuddlebug," she whispered, draping her arm around Billy as he buried his head against her chest, still clutching his blanket tightly. "Billy, do you feel like you have to use the loo?"

"No, my tummy hurts."

Molly could tell her son was on the verge of tears because of his pain, but there wasn't much she could do for him while he was in her lap and Charlie was resting against her shoulder. On top of that, she was in pain as well, due to the backaches she got along with her cramps. She settled for rubbing Bill's back in comforting circles, and resting her cheek against Charlie's head while she thought.

"Mollywobbles?" Arthur asked, coming down the stairs yawning. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine, why do you ask?" She asked, her voice laced with a bit of sarcasm as she glared at her husband.

"Well, for one thing, you didn't come back to bed," he surveyed the scene in front of him and quickly added, "it looks like you've got your hands full, Molly."

"Well spotted, Arthur. Do you mind? My arm and legs hurt."

"Not at all," he said merrily, earning himself another glare from Molly as he reached for the infant.

"Arthur, take Billy back up to bed, he's asleep and his stomach hurts, so be careful."

"I'm always careful, Mollywobbles," Arthur replied, whispering as he bent down to scoop Billy up and rest him against his shoulder. Molly offered her husband a gentle smile as he made his way towards the stairs, and she stood as well to take Charlie back to the nursery, as he had finally calmed enough to go back to sleep.

"MOLLY!"

Molly looked up at hearing her husband call for her, and she sighed as Charlie awoke again, due to the noise. She leaned back over the railing of the crib to pick her baby up, and rested him back against her shoulder, her hand immediately coming to rest on his back rubbing in small circles. She made her way to Billy's room, where she suspected the noise was coming from.

"What is it, Arthur?" She asked, sighing wearily as she closed her eyes, not wanting to know what was wrong now.

"Your son hurled, Mol, all over me."

"_My_ son? Why is he always _my_ son when he does something disgusting?" Molly asked, opening her eyes to see just how much damage Billy had managed.

"Well, why is he always _my_ son when he misbehaves?"

"Never mind, Arthur, its not that bad." She sighed, shifting Charlie so she could get her wand. After performing a quick cleansing charm on Arthur's pajama top and Billy's face, she handed Charlie to his father. "Here, take Charlie, you can deal with him since you woke him back up."

Arthur gladly took the infant from his wife, and made his way back to the nursery, while Molly scooped up Bill.

"Billy, wake up," She whispered, marveling at the fact her son had hurled in his sleep, and didn't wake.

"What Mumma?" He asked sleepily, clutching a fist full of her nightgown.

Molly stroked his hair and back as she carried him to the loo, knowing she wasn't going to get any sleep now, with a baby that would be hungry in a mere couple of hours and a very sick two year old. "You got sick, sweetie. Does your tummy still hurt?"

Bill nodded, slipping his arms around his mother's neck, as she slid down the wall across from the chamber pot, settling him in her lap. She continued rubbing his back, fighting to stay awake herself, she wanted to crawl back into bed with her husband, and have her pain relieved, but she would never abandon her sick child.

"Molly?"

She looked up from her place on the bathroom floor, resting her chin on her son's head. "What is it Arthur?"

"I'm going to head into work so maybe I'll be able to get off early. I'm sorry to leave you here with your hands full."

"It'll be fine Arthur, go on."

"All right, just don't forget to take care of yourself as well as the sick little guy, Mollywobbles."

"I know, Arthur. Though, I believe it can be said that we have two sick little guys."

"Ah…yes of course, forgot about Charlie's colic for a second. Anyhow, I'll see you tonight." Arthur then got down on his knees to kiss the top of Bill's head before gently kissing his wife. "Get well soon, Bill."

Bill turned his head to look at his father, and after he had released Molly, he reached for Arthur. He and Molly shared a small smile as he gathered Bill close for a fierce hug, while Bill hugged his father's neck.

"I'll see you when I get home, all right?" Arthur said, ruffling his son's hair after he had handed him back to his mother.

Bill nodded and buried his head back against Molly's bosom as Arthur exited the loo.

"Mumma?" Bill asked, his voice slightly muffled against her chest.

"What Billy?"

"Why's Daddy always gone?"

"He's got to work, love. He'll be back later though, and he loves you very much." Molly replied, resuming her rubbing of Bill's back as she sighed. She didn't like the fact that Arthur was hardly ever home either, but it was something that was out of their control, and he had been able to get paternity leave for both boys. Besides, he made a conscious effort to spend time with Bill when he was home, and it warmed her heart to see him interact with their sons. "Do you miss him, Billy?"

Bill nodded, and Molly gave him a tight hug. "I know you do, sweetheart, Mumma misses Daddy too, but Daddy has to work. He misses you as well, you know that?" She added, giving Bill a smile as he shook his head. "Well, he does. He misses you, and Charlie and me when he's gone." Molly pressed a kiss to the top of his head as she felt a small shudder run through his body. Looking down at him, she thought he looked a bit pale, as if he was going to throw up and she quickly moved to hold his head over the chamber pot. She rubbed his back as he got sick, summoning a small amount of water for him to sip. When he had finished, she gathered him close again, handing him the cup.

"Do you feel better now Bill?" Molly asked, stroking his back as he drank. Bill nodded and she felt his forehead again. He still felt feverish, but if he was feeling a bit better, there was no sense in him staying in the loo. "All right Bill, lets get you settled on the settee while I tend to your brother."

Molly scooped up her son, allowing him to nestle his head against her shoulder whilst she carried him back to his bedroom. She handed him his blanket to hold and grabbed his pillow from the bed. Once they were back in the sitting room, Molly fluffed his pillow before she gently laid him down, tucking his blanket tightly around him as she kissed his forehead.

"Are you comfortable, Billy?" She asked, hearing Charlie cry from the nursery. Bill nodded, and Molly summoned the plastic work bowl from the kitchen that had been dubbed "The Puke Bowl" by Arthur after he had caught the stomach flu their first New Year's holiday together as a married couple. She allowed the bowl to come to a rest on Bill's stomach and smoothed his hair away from his forehead. "All right, Bill, sweetie, I've got to go get Charlie, if you feel like you're going to get sick again, hold your head over the bowl, okay?"

"Okay, Mumma." Bill replied, resting back against his pillow. Molly made her way back to the nursery, blowing her fringe out of her eyes as she bent over the side of the crib to gather her youngest close. Her hand immediately came to rest on his bum, checking to see if his nappy was wet. Molly made shushing noises into Charlie's ear as she carried him to the changing table, and gently set him down before reaching for a clean nappy. She continued to make shushing noises while she swiftly changed his nappy and gathered him close to her bosom again. She stroked his back and kissed the top of his head while she descended the stairs to check on Bill. He was sleeping peacefully and Molly let out a soft sigh of relief as she lowered into her rocking chair before she realized she had forgotten to grab a burp rag from the nursery. She adjusted Charlie so he was resting against her shoulder and summoned the burp rag as well as the pillow she occasionally used when she nursed her children. She set the items on her lap while she freed her breast and after latching Charlie on, she slid the pillow under him, draping the burp rag over her shoulder. Molly rested her head against the back of her chair as she rocked gently, closing her eyes, smiling as she felt the familiar tug on her breast while her son quietly fed.

Arthur smiled at the sight before him as he entered the sitting room, having just Apparated home from the Ministry. He kissed his sleeping wife's lips softly as he bent over her to lift Charlie gently from her embrace.

"A-Arthur?"

"Yes, my Molly?"

"What are you doing home?"

"I told my superiors that my wife was at home with two very sick little ones and that she wasn't feeling well either, and they told me to come home."

"You shouldn't have, Arthur." She whispered, tucking her breast back into her nightgown. "I told you I'd take care of them."

"I know you did, but it's not fair of me. These guys are my children too and I want to help."

"I know you do, dear, is Billy still asleep?" she asked, yawning as she glanced towards the settee.

"I believe he is, though I didn't see, I saw you were sleeping and thought I'd relieve you of Charlie first."

"How very thoughtful of you, love. Let me have Charlie, and why don't you take Billy back up to his bedroom."

"Your wish is my command, Mollywobbles," Arthur whispered, transferring Charlie back into the cradle of his mother's arms.

"Thank you. I'll meet you in our bedroom then, we might as well go back to sleep." Molly replied, standing on tiptoe to give her husband a quick kiss before turning to carry her sleeping baby back to the nursery.

After obeying Molly's orders, Arthur squinted as he entered the master bedroom; the sun was beginning to spill its rays across the marital bed as it rose. He offered his wife a gentle smile as he climbed into bed, noticing she was still holding Charlie.

"Thought you were taking him back to bed?"

"I changed my mind, I'd rather have him with me so I don't have to sidetrack when I'm going to check on Bill."

"All right, Mama bear, you are the boss, but why don't you and baby bear there come and snuggle with Papa bear?"

Molly smiled at her husband, moving closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Bill asked me why you're hardly ever home after you left, Arthur." Molly said, leaning forward to lay Charlie on the bed between them.

"And what did you tell him, Molly-girl?" He asked, pulling her into his embrace and kissing the top of her head, his eyes watching his youngest child.

"I told him that you don't like being at work all the time, that you love all three of us with all of your heart and that you miss us when you're at work."

"Every word you just spoke is the truth, darling. So what's the problem?"

"It nearly broke my heart, Arthur. No child Billy's age should wonder where their father is as he's working as much as you are."

"I know, Mollywobbles. I don't like it either, I'd much rather be here watching these guys grow up then spending ten to fourteen hours everyday at the Ministry."

"I love you, and I do give you a lot of credit, you know. You make the time you do have with us memorable and worthwhile."

"Of course, if these little ones are awake when I come home, no matter how tired I am, I'll stay up and spend time with them, its part of the job description." He tapped his wife on the nose, tilting her face towards his. "And of course, I love too, my dear." He said, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

Molly smiled into his kiss, closing her eyes briefly.

"As much as I'd love to spend the morning right here in bed with you, love, I've got to care for Billy and Charlie."

"You don't have to do it by yourself, Molly-girl. Go on back to sleep, I know you're not feeling well either."

"I'm not, but it's mostly my back, Arthur."

"Would you like me to rub it?" He asked kindly, rubbing her upper arm after wrapping an arm about her shoulders again.

"I'd be very grateful and appreciative if you did."

Arthur smiled, moving his hand down her back, rubbing in gentle circles where he knew she hurt the most. He knew they had a long day ahead of them, but he was in the one place he wanted to be, and wouldn't let his wife care for their little ones alone, she needed her rest as well.


End file.
